Backboards are an essential piece of equipment for medical and emergency personnel for safely moving a patient in a manner to minimize the risk of spinal injury. Backboards and stretchers are also essential in transporting a patient in a manner that is convenient for the medical personnel and the most comfortable to the patient.
When a person has suffered a possible spinal or neck injury, the use of a standard stretcher is not suitable since the neck is not effectively immobilized. It is essential that the entire body be restrained from movement until the extent of the injuries are determined. To prevent movement of the neck and spine, a backboard is attached to the patient and a head immobilizing device is secured to the backboard.
The head immobilizing devices are known in the art for stabilizing an injured patient. One example of a head immobilizing device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,944,016 to Ferko. This device is intended to be mounted to a rigid backboard to support a patient's head. The device includes a plurality of panels that are folded to support each side of a patient's head.
The backboards in common use today are rigid boards having handles or openings for gripping the board. The board must be sufficiently rigid to support the weight of the patient without buckling or folding. However, the board must also be sufficiently lightweight to avoid unnecessary weight being carried by the medical personnel or paramedics. It is desirable to manufacture the backboard to be compact as reasonably possible to minimize storage space.
Conventional backboards are often made from flat sheet material such as plywood, plastic or metal. The flat backboards usually have a number of openings around the edge for lifting and receiving straps to secure the patient to the board. Other backboards are made from molded plastic materials. Another form of backboard is made of metal and has number of pivotable supporting surfaces which can be placed around the patient while in the open position. The pivotable supporting surfaces are closed to slide beneath the patient so that the patient can be positioned on the backboard without lifting the patient from the ground.
The backboards and stretchers in common used today are expensive and intended for reuse. However, a patient is typically transported to a hospital on the backboard by emergency personnel so that the backboard remains with the patient until the patient is treated and removed from the board. The board must then be returned to the emergency personnel. The expense and bulk of the existing backboards limit the number of backboards which can be stored and carried by the emergency personnel.
Backboards have been made of inexpensive materials such as cardboard so that the backboard can be discarded after use. An example of a disposable board is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,584,729 to Roberts et al. This device includes a main panel and a cradle member having a pair of wings extending from the cradle. The wings are formed by fold lines on the cradle so that the wings can be raised to and the patient strapped in place.
Accordingly, there is a continuing need in the industry for an improved backboard.